Short answer
Yes, for a believer. The Prophet (ﷺ) named tiredness, illness, worry, grief and harm, even the prick of a thorn. None of these reaches a Muslim without Allah (﷾) wiping away some of his sins by it. Sins fall from him as leaves fall from a tree. Suffering is not a sign that Allah (﷾) is angry with you. The prophets suffered more than anyone. This holds for every kind of hardship. It covers illness and pain, sadness and anxiety, poverty and debt. It covers losing a loved one, and being wronged. A child who dies young goes to Paradise. Patience adds a reward beyond counting. But suffering does not take the place of repentance, and it does not settle what you owe to other people. Islam does not ask you to seek suffering either. The Prophet (ﷺ) told the sick to seek a cure, and he asked Allah (﷾) for protection from worry, grief and debt.
Full explanation
What the Prophet (ﷺ) said
The Prophet (ﷺ) named tiredness, illness, sorrow, sadness, hurt and distress, even the prick of a thorn. He said none of these reaches a Muslim without Allah (﷾) wiping away some of his sins by it. In another report he named even a worry that troubles a believer. Aisha heard him say that a thorn, or something worse, raises a believer a rank and wipes away a sin. So the answer is yes. For a believer, no pain is wasted.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayra report that the Prophet (ﷺ) said no tiredness, illness, sorrow, sadness, hurt or distress reaches a Muslim, not even the prick of a thorn, without Allah wiping away some of his sins because of it.
Abu Sa'id and Abu Hurayra heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say that no discomfort, hardship, illness or grief strikes a believer, not even a worry that troubles him, without his sins being wiped away by it.
Some young men laughed in front of Aisha because a man had tripped over a tent rope and nearly hurt himself badly. She told them not to laugh. She had heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say that when a Muslim is pricked by a thorn, or by something worse, he is raised a rank and a sin is wiped away.
Like leaves falling from a tree
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud visited the Prophet (ﷺ) when he had a high fever. The Prophet (ﷺ) said his fever was as much as two men's. Ibn Mas'ud asked whether that meant a double reward, and he said yes. Then he said that no harm strikes a Muslim without Allah (﷾) wiping away his sins by it. They fall from him, he said, as a tree sheds its leaves.
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud visited the Prophet (ﷺ) while he had a high fever. The Prophet said his fever was as much as two men's. Ibn Mas'ud asked whether that was because he would have a double reward, and he said yes. He said no Muslim is afflicted with any harm, even the prick of a thorn, without Allah expiating his sins by it, as a tree sheds its leaves.
Is my suffering a punishment?
Many people think so. When illness or loss comes, they ask what they did wrong. Islam says you cannot read Allah's (﷾) pleasure or anger from what happens to you. The Qur'an describes a man who thinks that when he is given plenty, his Lord has honoured him. When his provision is cut back, he says: "My Lord hath humiliated me!" The Qur'an answers: "Nay, nay!" Ibn Kathir explains that wealth and hardship are both tests. Allah (﷾) gives and holds back from those He loves and from those He does not. The Qur'an says: "We test you by evil and by good by way of trial."
“Now, as for man, when his Lord trieth him, giving him honour and gifts, then saith he, (puffed up), "My Lord hath honoured me." But when He trieth him, restricting his subsistence for him, then saith he (in despair), "My Lord hath humiliated me!" Nay, nay! but ye honour not the orphans!”
Explains that wealth and poverty are both a test, not a sign of honour or disgrace. Man thinks that when Allah gives him plenty, it is because Allah honours him, and when He limits his provision, it is because Allah humiliates him. "Nay" means it is neither. Allah gives wealth to those He loves and those He does not love, and withholds it from both. What matters is to obey Allah in either state: to give thanks when rich and to be patient when poor.
“Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. to Us must ye return.”
The best people suffered the most
If suffering were a sign of Allah's (﷾) anger, the prophets would have suffered least. They suffered most. Aisha said she never saw anyone suffer more from illness than the Prophet (ﷺ). His fever was as hard as two men's, and he said it brought a double reward. Job cried out that distress had seized him. Jacob lost his son for years. The Qur'an says the messengers and the believers were so shaken that they cried: "When (will come) the help of Allah?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said that when Allah (﷾) wants good for someone, He tests him with hardship.
Aisha said she never saw anyone suffer more from illness than the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud visited the Prophet (ﷺ) while he had a high fever. The Prophet said his fever was as much as two men's. Ibn Mas'ud asked whether that was because he would have a double reward, and he said yes. He said no Muslim is afflicted with any harm, even the prick of a thorn, without Allah expiating his sins by it, as a tree sheds its leaves.
“And (remember) Job, when He cried to his Lord, "Truly distress has seized me, but Thou art the Most Merciful of those that are merciful." So We listened to him: We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his people to him, and doubled their number,- as a Grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration, for all who serve Us.”
“He said: "I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah, and I know from Allah that which ye know not”
“Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? they encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Messenger and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of Allah?" Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is (always) near!”
Abu Hurayra reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: when Allah wants good for someone, He tests him with hardship.
When hardship does follow a sin
Sometimes hardship is linked to sin. The Qur'an says: "Whatever misfortune happens to you, is because on the things your hands have wrought, and for many (of them) He grants forgiveness." Ibn Kathir explains that some disasters come because of past sins, and that Allah (﷾) forgives many others. Then he quotes the hadith of the thorn. So even then, for a believer, the hardship cleans him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said plague had been a punishment for some, but Allah (﷾) made it a mercy for the believers. And no one may judge another's suffering. Allah (﷾) does not look at faces or wealth, but at hearts and deeds.
“Whatever misfortune happens to you, is because on the things your hands have wrought, and for many (of them) He grants forgiveness.”
Explains "whatever misfortune happens to you" as disasters that come because of sins people committed before, and "He grants forgiveness" as many sins that Allah does not punish but forgives. He adds 35:45: if Allah punished people for all they earned, He would not leave a creature on the earth. He then quotes the sahih hadith that no tiredness, illness, worry or grief reaches a believer, even a thorn, without Allah wiping away some of his sins by it.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayra report that the Prophet (ﷺ) said no tiredness, illness, sorrow, sadness, hurt or distress reaches a Muslim, not even the prick of a thorn, without Allah wiping away some of his sins because of it.
Aisha asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about plague. He said it had been a punishment Allah sent on whom He willed, but Allah made it a mercy for the believers. A believer who stays patiently in a land struck by plague, knowing that only what Allah has written will reach him, has the reward of a martyr.
Abu Huraira reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah does not look at your faces or your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.
Suffering means Allah (﷾) is angry with you
Ease and wealth mean Allah (﷾) honours you
The prophets suffered more than anyone
Some hardship can follow a sin
Even then, it cleans the believer
You can judge people by their suffering
Every kind of hardship
The Qur'an names the tests: "Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil)". Ibn Kathir explains each loss. Goods are wealth that is destroyed. Lives are friends, family and loved ones who die. Fruits are crops that fail. The hadiths name tiredness, illness, sadness, grief, worry and pain. So the promise is not only for one kind of suffering. It covers the body, the mind, money, family and the wrongs people do to you.
“Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return":- They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.”
Explains that Allah tests His servants, sometimes with good things and sometimes with hardship. He reads the verse's list as kinds of trial: a little fear and hunger; loss of wealth, when some of it is destroyed; loss of lives, meaning friends, family and loved ones who die; and loss of fruits, when gardens and farms do not yield as hoped. The patient who say "To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return" find comfort in it, and receive blessings and mercy.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayra report that the Prophet (ﷺ) said no tiredness, illness, sorrow, sadness, hurt or distress reaches a Muslim, not even the prick of a thorn, without Allah wiping away some of his sins because of it.
| Suffering | What is promised |
|---|---|
| Tiredness, pain, a thorn | Some sins wiped away, and a rank raised |
| Illness and fever | Sins taken away, as a furnace cleans iron |
| Worry, sadness, grief | Sins wiped away |
| Losing your sight, with patience | Paradise in its place |
| Dying of plague or a disease of the belly | Counted a martyr |
| Loss of money or loved ones | Blessings and mercy for the patient |
| Losing a young child | The child is in Paradise |
| Being wronged | The wrongdoer pays you with his good deeds |
Illness and fever
Illness is the hardship the hadiths speak of most. The Prophet (ﷺ) visited a woman who was shivering with fever, and she cursed it. He told her not to curse fever. He said it takes away the sins of the children of Adam. It does so as a furnace cleans iron. The Prophet (ﷺ) knew illness himself. Aisha said she never saw anyone suffer more from illness than him.
Jabir reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) visited Umm al-Sa'ib, who was shivering. She said it was fever, and cursed it. He said: do not curse fever, for it takes away the sins of the children of Adam, as a furnace takes away the impurity of iron.
Aisha said she never saw anyone suffer more from illness than the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud visited the Prophet (ﷺ) while he had a high fever. The Prophet said his fever was as much as two men's. Ibn Mas'ud asked whether that was because he would have a double reward, and he said yes. He said no Muslim is afflicted with any harm, even the prick of a thorn, without Allah expiating his sins by it, as a tree sheds its leaves.
While you are ill, your good deeds are still written
Many sick people grieve that they can no longer pray at night, fast or help others. The Prophet (ﷺ) spoke of a servant of Allah (﷾) who falls ill. He is still given the reward of the good he did when he was well. So a person in a hospital bed loses nothing of his old good deeds. The illness wipes away sins, and the reward of his healthy days keeps being written.
Abu Musa reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: when a servant of Allah falls ill or travels, the reward is written for him of the good he used to do when he was healthy and at home.
It wipes away sins
as a furnace cleans iron.
It keeps his good deeds written
the reward of what he did when well.
Patience adds a reward
without measure.
Long illness and disability
A woman who had epilepsy came to the Prophet (ﷺ). In her fits her body became uncovered, and she asked him to pray for her. He said: be patient and Paradise is yours, or I will pray for you to be healed. She chose patience, and asked him to pray that she would not be uncovered, and he did. Ibn Abbas called her a woman of the people of Paradise. The Prophet (ﷺ) also said that Allah (﷾) speaks of the servant who loses his sight. If he is patient, Allah (﷾) gives him Paradise in its place.
Ata ibn Abi Rabah reports that Ibn Abbas offered to show him a woman of the people of Paradise. She was a black woman who had come to the Prophet (ﷺ) saying that she suffered fits of epilepsy in which her body became uncovered, and asked him to pray for her. He said: if you wish, be patient and Paradise is yours; or if you wish, I will pray to Allah to heal you. She said she would be patient, but asked him to pray that she would not become uncovered, and he prayed for her.
Anas ibn Malik heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say that Allah said: when I try My servant through his two beloved things, meaning his eyes, and he is patient, I will give him Paradise in their place. Al-Bukhari placed it under the heading "the merit of one who has lost his sight".
Dying of a disease
Some deaths from illness are counted as martyrdom. The Prophet (ﷺ) named some of the martyrs. Among them are the one who dies of plague and the one who dies of a disease of the belly. Aisha asked him about plague. He said it had been a punishment, but Allah (﷾) made it a mercy for the believers. A believer who stays patiently where plague has struck, trusting Allah (﷾), has the reward of a martyr.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said that five are martyrs: one who dies of plague, one who dies of a disease of the stomach, one who drowns, one who dies under a fallen building, and the martyr in Allah's way.
Aisha asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about plague. He said it had been a punishment Allah sent on whom He willed, but Allah made it a mercy for the believers. A believer who stays patiently in a land struck by plague, knowing that only what Allah has written will reach him, has the reward of a martyr.
Seek a cure, and visit the sick
None of this means you should stay ill. The Prophet (ﷺ) said Allah (﷾) has not sent down any disease without also sending its cure. He taught a man in pain to put his hand where it hurt and say Bismillah, in the name of Allah (﷾), three times. Then, seven times, he should seek refuge with Allah (﷾) and His power from what he feels and fears. When he visited the sick, he asked Allah (﷾) to heal them. He said that on the Day of Judgment, Allah (﷾) will say: I was sick, and you did not visit Me.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said God has not sent down any disease without also sending down its cure.
Uthman ibn Abi al-As complained to the Prophet (ﷺ) of a pain he had felt in his body since becoming Muslim. The Prophet (ﷺ) told him to put his hand on the place of the pain and say Bismillah (in the name of Allah) three times. Then seven times: A'udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir, "I seek refuge in Allah and His power from the evil of what I feel and fear".
Aisha reports that when the Prophet (ﷺ) visited a sick person, he prayed: remove the harm, Lord of the people, and heal, for You are the Healer; there is no healing but Yours, a healing that leaves no illness behind.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said that on the Day of Resurrection Allah will say: son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me. The man will ask how he could visit the Lord of the worlds. Allah will say: My servant was sick and you did not visit him; had you visited him, you would have found Me with him.
A believer falls ill.
What does it do?
It wipes away some of his sins.
What should he do?
Seek a cure. Allah (﷾) sent a cure with every disease.
And while he waits?
Put a hand where it hurts, say Bismillah, and ask Allah (﷾) for healing.
And those around him?
Visit him. Allah (﷾) is with the sick.
Worry, sadness and anxiety
Pain of the mind counts too. The hadiths name worry, sadness and grief, the same as illness of the body. Feeling low is not a lack of faith. Jacob said: "I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah". When Mary was in the pains of childbirth, she cried: "Ah! would that I had died before this!" The Qur'an does not blame her for it. A voice told her: "Grieve not!" The Prophet (ﷺ) himself asked Allah (﷾) for refuge from worry and grief. He did not treat them as nothing.
Abu Sa'id and Abu Hurayra heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say that no discomfort, hardship, illness or grief strikes a believer, not even a worry that troubles him, without his sins being wiped away by it.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayra report that the Prophet (ﷺ) said no tiredness, illness, sorrow, sadness, hurt or distress reaches a Muslim, not even the prick of a thorn, without Allah wiping away some of his sins because of it.
“He said: "I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah, and I know from Allah that which ye know not”
“And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): "Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!" But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): "Grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee;”
Anas reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray: O Allah, I seek refuge with You from worry and grief, from weakness and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from the weight of debt and from being overpowered by men.
Worry and sadness wipe away sins
Feeling low means your faith has gone
The Prophet (ﷺ) asked Allah (﷾) for refuge from worry and grief
A low time means Allah (﷾) has left you
Illness of the mind may be treated
"Your Lord has not forsaken you"
Once the Prophet (ﷺ) fell ill and could not stand for the night prayer for two or three nights. A woman mocked him, saying his devil had left him. Then Allah (﷾) revealed Surat al-Duha. It says: "Thy Guardian-Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased." Ibn Kathir gives this as the reason the surah came down. Elsewhere the Qur'an says: "We do indeed know how thy heart is distressed at what they say." A low time is not a sign that Allah (﷾) has left you.
Jundub ibn Sufyan reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) fell ill and did not stand for the night prayer for two or three nights. A woman came and mocked him, saying his devil had left him. Then Allah revealed Surat al-Duha: by the morning light, and by the night when it is still, your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased.
“Thy Guardian-Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased. And verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present. And soon will thy Guardian-Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased.”
Gives the reason the surah was revealed. The Prophet (ﷺ) fell ill and did not stand for prayer for a night or two, and a woman mocked him that his devil had left him; in another report the revelation was slow to come, and the idolaters said his Lord had abandoned him. So Allah revealed: your Lord has neither forsaken you nor hates you. Ibn Kathir names al-Bukhari, Muslim and others as recording it.
“We do indeed know how thy heart is distressed at what they say. But celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and be of those who prostrate themselves in adoration.”
What helps a troubled heart
The Qur'an says: "in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction." In times of distress the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say: there is no god but Allah (﷾), the Mighty, the Forbearing. He is Lord of the heavens and the earth. Jonah called out from the darkness: "There is no god but thou: glory to thee". And the Qur'an says: "never give up hope of Allah's Soothing Mercy". Prayer and remembrance do not stop you seeking treatment. Illness of the mind is an illness, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said every illness has a cure.
“"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.”
Ibn Abbas reports that in times of distress the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say: there is no god but Allah, the Mighty, the Forbearing; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the mighty Throne; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth and Lord of the noble Throne.
“And remember Zun-nun, when he departed in wrath: He imagined that We had no power over him! But he cried through the depths of darkness, "There is no god but thou: glory to thee: I was indeed wrong!" So We listened to him: and delivered him from distress: and thus do We deliver those who have faith.”
“"O my sons! go ye and enquire about Joseph and his brother, and never give up hope of Allah's Soothing Mercy: truly no one despairs of Allah's Soothing Mercy, except those who have no faith."”
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said God has not sent down any disease without also sending down its cure.
Poverty, debt and losing money
Loss of wealth is one of the tests the Qur'an names. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked Allah (﷾) for refuge from the weight of debt, so he knew how it presses on a person. The Qur'an says that Satan threatens people with poverty, while Allah (﷾) promises forgiveness and bounty. It says that whoever fears Allah (﷾), He makes a way out for him, and provides from where he never imagined. The Prophet (ﷺ) said real wealth is the wealth of the soul, not many possessions. And the poor among the emigrants, the early Muslims who left Mecca, go into Paradise forty years before the rich.
“Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return":- They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.”
Anas reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray: O Allah, I seek refuge with You from worry and grief, from weakness and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from the weight of debt and from being overpowered by men.
“The Evil one threatens you with poverty and bids you to conduct unseemly. Allah promiseth you His forgiveness and bounties. And Allah careth for all and He knoweth all things.”
“Thus when they fulfil their term appointed, either take them back on equitable terms or part with them on equitable terms; and take for witness two persons from among you, endued with justice, and establish the evidence (as) before Allah. Such is the admonition given to him who believes in Allah and the Last Day. And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out, And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion.”
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said riches do not lie in having many possessions; true riches are contentment of the soul.
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As told three poor men who came to him with nothing that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: the poor among the emigrants will go ahead of the rich into Paradise by forty years on the Day of Resurrection. The men chose to be patient and asked for nothing.
Money troubles in the Qur'an and hadith
- Loss of wealth is one of the tests, and the patient are given good news.
- The Prophet (ﷺ) sought refuge from the weight of debt.
- Whoever fears Allah (﷾), He makes a way out for him and provides from where he never imagined.
- Real wealth is the wealth of the soul.
- The poor emigrants enter Paradise forty years before the rich.
If someone owes you
Islam also speaks to the one who is owed. The Qur'an tells lenders: "If the debtor is in a difficulty, grant him time Till it is easy for him to repay." It adds that letting the debt go as charity is better still. The Prophet (ﷺ) told of a merchant who let his poor debtors off. He hoped Allah (﷾) would let his own sins go in the same way, and Allah (﷾) forgave him.
“If the debtor is in a difficulty, grant him time Till it is easy for him to repay. But if ye remit it by way of charity, that is best for you if ye only knew.”
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) told of a merchant who lent to people. When a debtor was in hardship, he told his servants to let the debt go, so that Allah might let our sins go. So Allah forgave him.
Losing someone you love
The Qur'an names the loss of lives among the tests. It praises those who say: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return". Ibn Kathir says this means friends, family and loved ones who die. When the Prophet's (ﷺ) infant son Ibrahim was dying, the Prophet's (ﷺ) eyes filled with tears. He said the eyes weep and the heart grieves, but we say only what pleases our Lord. He also spoke to a woman weeping at a grave. He told her that patience is at the first blow, when the loss is new.
“Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return":- They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.”
Explains that Allah tests His servants, sometimes with good things and sometimes with hardship. He reads the verse's list as kinds of trial: a little fear and hunger; loss of wealth, when some of it is destroyed; loss of lives, meaning friends, family and loved ones who die; and loss of fruits, when gardens and farms do not yield as hoped. The patient who say "To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return" find comfort in it, and receive blessings and mercy.
Anas reports that the Prophet's (ﷺ) infant son Ibrahim was in his last breaths, and the Prophet's eyes filled with tears. Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf asked in surprise whether even he wept. He answered that this was mercy. Then he wept more and said that the eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, but we say only what pleases our Lord, and that they were saddened by Ibrahim's parting.
Anas reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) passed a woman weeping at a grave and told her to fear Allah and be patient. Not knowing him, she said he had not been struck as she had. When she learned who he was, she came to him. He said: patience is at the first blow.
A child who dies goes to Paradise
A child who dies young goes to Paradise, with no sins to answer for. When the Prophet's (ﷺ) son Ibrahim died as a baby, he said that Ibrahim has a wet-nurse in Paradise. In a dream shown to him, the Prophet (ﷺ) saw Abraham in a garden with many children around him. They were the children who had died young. He was asked about the children of idolaters, and he said they were there too. Abu Hurayra told a grieving father that small children are the little ones of Paradise. Such a child takes hold of his father and does not let go until Allah (﷾) brings him into Paradise too. And the Prophet (ﷺ) said Allah (﷾) admits to Paradise a Muslim who loses three young children.
Al-Bara' reports that when Ibrahim, the infant son of the Prophet (ﷺ), died, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: he has a wet-nurse in Paradise.
Samura ibn Jundub reports a long dream the Prophet (ﷺ) told his Companions. Two angels showed him, among other things, a very tall man in a garden with a great many children around him. They told him the man was Abraham, and the children were every child who died upon the fitra, the natural disposition God gave mankind. Some Muslims asked: and the children of the idolaters? He said: and the children of the idolaters.
Abu Hassan told Abu Hurayra that two of his children had died, and asked for a hadith to comfort them. Abu Hurayra said yes. Small children are the little ones of Paradise. When one of them meets his father, he takes hold of his garment, and does not let go until Allah brings his father into Paradise.
Anas reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: a Muslim who loses three children before they reach puberty, Allah will admit to Paradise, by His mercy towards those children.
A child who dies young
- The Prophet's (ﷺ) baby son Ibrahim has a wet-nurse in Paradise.
- Children who die young are in a garden in Abraham's care, the children of idolaters too.
- A small child holds on to his father until Allah (﷾) brings him into Paradise.
When people wrong you
Being hurt by others is a hardship too, and it is not wasted. The Prophet (ﷺ) said the prayer of someone who is wronged goes up to Allah (﷾) with no screen in between. He also said that on the Day of Judgment, a person who wronged others pays them with his good deeds. If his good deeds run out, their sins are put on him. So every wrong done to you is put right, in this life or the next.
Ibn Abbas reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) sent Mu'adh to Yemen and told him: beware the prayer of one who is wronged, for there is no screen between it and Allah.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) asked who the bankrupt is. He said the bankrupt of his community comes on the Day of Resurrection with prayer, fasting and charity. But he insulted one, slandered another, took another's wealth, shed another's blood and beat another. Each is given some of his good deeds. If his good deeds run out before the account is settled, their sins are taken and thrown on him, and then he is thrown into the Fire.
Patience brings more
The hadiths promise that hardship wipes away sins. Patience brings something more. The Qur'an says: "those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said that everything is good for a believer. In ease he gives thanks, and in hardship he is patient, and both are good for him. Patience does not mean you never cry or complain to Allah (﷾). It means you do not turn away from Him.
“Say: "O ye my servants who believe! Fear your Lord, good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world. Spacious is Allah's earth! those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!"”
Suhayb reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said the affair of the believer is wonderful, for there is good for him in all of it, and this is so for no one but the believer: if something pleasing happens he gives thanks, and that is good for him; if hardship strikes he is patient, and that is good for him.
“He said: "I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah, and I know from Allah that which ye know not”
What suffering does not do
Suffering is a mercy, but it does not replace turning back to Allah (﷾). The Qur'an tells believers: "Turn to Allah with sincere repentance". Wrongs done to people must still be put right. The Prophet (ﷺ) said that every sin of a martyr is forgiven, except debt. And no one's suffering wipes away someone else's sins. The Qur'an says: "no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another." Your pain cleans your own record. Allah (﷾) forgives directly, with no one else paying for it.
“O ye who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance: In the hope that your Lord will remove from you your ills and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow,- the Day that Allah will not permit to be humiliated the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their Light will run forward before them and by their right hands, while they say, "Our Lord! Perfect our Light for us, and grant us Forgiveness: for Thou hast power over all things."”
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) asked who the bankrupt is. He said the bankrupt of his community comes on the Day of Resurrection with prayer, fasting and charity. But he insulted one, slandered another, took another's wealth, shed another's blood and beat another. Each is given some of his good deeds. If his good deeds run out before the account is settled, their sins are taken and thrown on him, and then he is thrown into the Fire.
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: every sin of a martyr is forgiven, except debt.
“Say: "Shall I seek for (my) Cherisher other than Allah, when He is the Cherisher of all things (that exist)? Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. Your goal in the end is towards Allah: He will tell you the truth of the things wherein ye disputed."”
Wipes away the sufferer's own sins
Raises the believer a rank
Replaces repentance
Pays off a debt owed to someone
Takes away someone else's sins
Means you should not seek a cure
Should I wish for suffering?
No. The Prophet (ﷺ) said no one should wish for death because of a harm that has struck him. If he must, let him ask Allah (﷾) to keep him alive while life is better for him. The Prophet (ﷺ) sought refuge from worry, grief and debt, and he told the sick to seek a cure. A Muslim asks Allah (﷾) for ease. If hardship comes anyway, he knows it is not wasted.
Anas reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said none of you should wish for death because of a harm that has struck him. If he must wish, let him say: "O Allah, keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and take me when death is better for me."
Anas reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray: O Allah, I seek refuge with You from worry and grief, from weakness and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from the weight of debt and from being overpowered by men.
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said God has not sent down any disease without also sending down its cure.
If you are not a Muslim
These hadiths speak of the believer. But the door is open to everyone. Amr ibn al-As once wanted to kill the Prophet (ﷺ). When he came to accept Islam, he asked to be forgiven first. The Prophet (ﷺ) told him that Islam wipes out everything that came before it. The Qur'an says: "Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins". Whatever you have done, and whatever you are going through, you can start again today.
Amr ibn al-As, near death, said that before Islam no one was more hateful to him than the Prophet (ﷺ), and he had wished to kill him. He told how he came to the Prophet to accept Islam. He asked the Prophet to stretch out his right hand so he could pledge, then drew his own hand back. Asked why, he said he wanted a condition: that he be forgiven. The Prophet asked whether he did not know that Islam wipes out everything that came before it.
“Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
So does my suffering wipe away my sins?
Yes, if you are a believer. Illness, pain, worry, grief, poverty, debt, loss and the wrongs others do to you all wipe away sins. A child who dies young goes to Paradise, and the patient are rewarded beyond measure. But suffering does not replace repentance, or settle what you owe to people. Seek a cure, ask Allah (﷾) for ease, and turn to Him. The Qur'an promises: "with every difficulty there is relief".
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayra report that the Prophet (ﷺ) said no tiredness, illness, sorrow, sadness, hurt or distress reaches a Muslim, not even the prick of a thorn, without Allah wiping away some of his sins because of it.
Al-Bara' reports that when Ibrahim, the infant son of the Prophet (ﷺ), died, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: he has a wet-nurse in Paradise.
“Say: "O ye my servants who believe! Fear your Lord, good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world. Spacious is Allah's earth! those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!"”
“O ye who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance: In the hope that your Lord will remove from you your ills and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow,- the Day that Allah will not permit to be humiliated the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their Light will run forward before them and by their right hands, while they say, "Our Lord! Perfect our Light for us, and grant us Forgiveness: for Thou hast power over all things."”
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said God has not sent down any disease without also sending down its cure.
“So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.”
Perspectives
Christian: Christ bore our sins
Most Christians teach that sins are taken away by Christ's suffering on the cross, not by a believer's own suffering. Many also read a believer's trials as God's discipline, meant for good.
Peter writes that Christ "bare our sins in his own body on the tree".
Rebuttal
The Qur'an says no soul bears another's burden. Allah (﷾) forgives whoever turns to Him, with no one else's suffering needed. A believer's own hardship wipes away his own sins, as the Prophet (ﷺ) taught.
Critics: this teaches people to accept suffering
Some critics say that promising reward for suffering makes people passive. They say it teaches the sick to stay sick and the poor to stay poor.
If pain wipes away sins, a believer has no reason to fight illness or poverty.
Rebuttal
The same Prophet (ﷺ) said every disease has a cure and told people to seek it. He sought refuge from worry, grief and debt, and said not to wish for death. The Qur'an tells lenders to give a poor debtor time.
Calling suffering a mercy excuses those who cause it.
Rebuttal
It does not. The prayer of the wronged reaches Allah (﷾) with no screen. On the Day of Judgment the wrongdoer pays his victims with his own good deeds.
The Islamic perspective
For a believer, every hardship wipes away sins: illness, pain, worry, grief, poverty, debt, loss and being wronged. Patience brings a reward beyond measure, and a child who dies young goes to Paradise. Suffering does not replace repentance or settle debts to people. A Muslim seeks a cure and asks Allah (﷾) for ease.
Tiredness, illness, worry, grief and harm, even a thorn, wipe away some of a Muslim's sins.
Suffering is not a sign of Allah's (﷾) anger, and ease is not a sign of His honour: both are tests.
Fever takes away sins as a furnace takes the impurity out of iron.
A sick person is still given the reward of the good he did when he was well.
One who dies of plague or a disease of the belly is counted a martyr.
A child who dies young is in Paradise.
Every disease has a cure, so the sick should seek it.
The patient receive a reward without measure.
No one bears another's burden, so suffering cleans only the sufferer's own record.